Winners

We received numerous applications from some of the most innovative and creative thinkers in our community. TEDxOrangeCoast is proud to announce the 2013 Winners:

2013 Winners

2013 – Truthlocker

TruthLocker is a smartphone app that creates hope and a shift in power for targets of cyber cruelty. It does this by creating a remote lock box where a phone’s messages are preserved as they happened. This is important because Generation Text has made messaging ubiquitous and with this change supervision and accountability have become scarce. Today, students can be mercilessly attack without a way to make it stop or ask for help. With TruthLocker it is not the target’s word against their bully’s, it’s the bully’s word against the truth. Like the seat belt, TruthLocker has the power to save the lives of desperate young people who see hurting themselves or others as a way to make the hurtful messages stop. It is our mission that TruthLocker become standard safety equipment for every phone in the world.

2013 – Young Singers of Orange County – Issy Luestig and Sophie Smith

Young Singers of Orange County is a community service based choir for children grades K-9 who perform concerts at schools, hospitals, elderly-care facilities, and community events. YSOC teaches children musicality and builds their self-esteem, while inspiring them to engage in community service; an education that will last a lifetime. YSOC’s mission is to benefit both the Young Singers as well as the surrounding community.

2013 – The Reality of Human Trafficking – Caroline Nguyen

The Reality of Human Trafficking will hold seminars on the local and global truths of human trafficking, an issue that is largely underrated and unexposed. Females as young as 12 years old are trapped in the sex slave or bonded work industry. The dangers of being involved and the proximity of this issue to our homes are concerns that should be addressed to all students, parents, and schools. The goal of these seminars is to increase awareness, expose such industries to the public, and help other teenagers protect themselves from these dangers. This issue is more important, more volatile, and more threatening than the public believes. The Reality of Human Trafficking intends to change this.

2013 – Secure Alcohol System – Ismael Kotob

Secure Alcohol System is a system based on readers and magnetic locks to keep alcohol out the hands of our youth (teens). If you are under 21 and swipe your drivers ID, the reader will send a signal to the magnetic lock to keep the doors unlocked. However, if you are your over 21, and you swipe your drivers ID, the doors will open. The goal is to make teens conscious of their decision to steal alcohol and help store owners reduce their liability of stolen alcohol and loss of liquor license. A liquor license is essential to store owners as it is a huge percentage of net profit.

2012 Winners

2012 – Partners in Algebra

Partners in Algebra provides tutoring and mentoring at no cost to economically disadvantaged students at Saddleback College. The program was initially started to help students meet the Math and writing requirements needed to transfer to a university. But soon the program expanded and today helps student in every subject, from chemistry to accounting. More importantly, they do so much more than just mentor students in a specific subject matter, they give them the confidence they need to believe in themselves and what they can achieve. Partners in Algebra has assisted more than 100 students. And today, 40 of these students have entered or graduated from various UCs in California, as well as prestigious private universities such as NYU, Columbia, USC, and many more. Several past mentees have even joined the program as mentors.

2012 – In A Box

In A Box provides essential items to women and children living in domestic violence shelters. The initiative was started six years ago by Javier Espinoza, who was a victim of domestic violence himself. His experiences growing up motivated him to help women living in shelters who may be hiding out and can’t freely go to the store or afford basics. For each season, In A Box creates beautiful wrapped boxes, all containing necessities such as underwear, feminine products, clothes, toiletries, baby supplies, seasonal gifts and school supplies. Every box also includes a letter from Javier, “The most important item I provide for the women and children in shelters is my voice. I know how dark some days can seem, but I want the children to know they can come from a background of domestic violence and still be college-bound with a future full of opportunity and success,” he said. www.inaboxprovides.org